Howard L. – Sober 37 Years – Celebration of 175th EpisodeHoward L. – Sober 37 Years – Celebration of 175th Episode
AA Recovery Interviews
Howard L. reflects on 37 years of sobriety and 175 AA-focused interviews, sharing how the podcast began, how anonymity is protected, and how service supports his recovery. Interviewed by his friend Adam M., he also talks about facing depression, cancer, and Parkinson’s while staying active in Alcoholics Anonymous.
1:06:04•11 Jun 2025
Sober 37 Years: Howard L. Marks 175 AA Stories and Counting
Episode Overview
- AA-focused podcasts can act as a flexible supplement to meetings, especially for people with families and demanding jobs.
- Anonymity can be preserved in audio formats by using first names and initials, avoiding visuals, and removing commercial references.
- Focusing on the "what it’s been like since getting sober" part of a story highlights how AA continues to work over years, not just at the beginning.
- Serious health issues such as depression, cancer, and Parkinson’s can be faced sober with the support and shared experience of AA members.
- AA can remain the foundation while people seek help from other 12-step programmes for additional issues like relationships, family, or money.
“Podcasts help me supplement my recovery by allowing me to hear others share their experience, strength, and hope at my convenience while multitasking.”
What can we learn from those who have battled addiction? This milestone conversation marks the 175th interview of AA Recovery Interviews and shines a light on the man usually behind the mic, Howard L., who has been sober since 1 January 1988. For once, he’s the one answering questions, with his long-time friend and sponsee, Adam M., taking over interviewing duties.
The chat is relaxed, candid, and very AA: plenty of humour, plenty of honesty, and a strong focus on experience, strength, and hope. Howard explains how the podcast began in December 2020, how it grew into “a repository of wisdom and experience, strength, and hope for so many people,” and why he chose to keep it rooted firmly in Alcoholics Anonymous rather than turning it into a general recovery show.
There’s a lot here for anyone in recovery who’s short on time but hungry for connection. Howard talks through the nuts and bolts of recording and editing each weekly episode, the care he takes with anonymity (“AA was never meant to be a secret organisation”), and why he refuses to monetise the show: it’s his way of giving back.
You’ll also hear how AA supported him through serious health challenges, including clinical depression, bladder cancer, and a later diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. Rather than drift into self-pity, he shows how community, shared experience, and service can make those burdens bearable. Adam keeps the tone warm and curious, asking the questions many AA members might have: how guests are chosen, why he insists on at least two years’ sobriety, and how other 12-step programmes fit around AA.
A listener email saying, “Podcasts help me supplement my recovery…at my convenience,” lands like a gentle reminder of why the work continues. If you’re looking for honest AA talk, mixed with real-life challenges and decades of sobriety, this celebration episode might be the nudge you need today. What could you gain from hearing how one man has stayed sober – and useful – for 37 years?
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